Dry-pipe valve.



E. E. CLARK. DRY PIPE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27. 1917.

Patented Jau. 14,1919.

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DRY PIPE vALvE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27. I9l7.

1,291,4:1 1 Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

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E. E. CLARK.

DRY PIPE VALVE.

APPLlcATloN FILED Aus.21. 1911.

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EZRA E. CLARK, NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 FIRE PROTECTION SECURITIES COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- oHUsETTs.

`Diva-PIPE VALVE.

Patented Jan. 141, 1919.

Application med nagaat 27. 1917. seria; No. 188.284.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it k-nown that I, EZRA E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newtonville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have .inventedan Improvementin Dry-Pipe Valves, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, Ilike characters on the drawing representing like parts. y

This invention relates to novel improvements in dry pipe valves.

Valves of this general type are employed in automatic sprinkler systems and include a water valve and an air valve and are so constructed that the pressure of the air confined in the sprinkler system will hold closed the water valve against the pressure of the water in the supply pipe. These dry pipe valves are, further, so constructed that a lesser air pressure will hold the` water valve closed against the greater water pressure. This is usually accomplished by a system of levers or by the use of differential valvesl or by a combination of both. This invention preferably employs the differential type in which the air valve is of greater area than the opposed water valve.

The object of this invention is to provide a drypipe valve that will be compact, efiicient, inexpensive and easy to maintain.

A more specific object is to provide a dry pipe valve in which the valves are so mounted that the space required by them, in their unseated positions and in swinging from seated to unseated positions, is restricted to a minimum.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a selected embodiment of this invention but it is to be understood that it is illustrative but not restrictive and that various changes may be made within the scopeof' the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a' vertical median section through the casing;

Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the valve being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a plan view1 of the valve, the outside of the casing being omitted,

In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the casing 1 substantiallylincloses the whole dry pipe valve and is provided at its upper end with an outlet opening Q which is adapted 'to be connected to the automatic sprinkler system normally containing air under pressure. The lower end of the casing is provided withan opening 3 to be connected with the usual riser or pipe of the water supply'always under pressure. The openingsQ and/3 are preferably in alinement so that a substantially straightwaterway is provided through the casing for the wa'ter permitted to be forced therethrough upon the unseating of the air valve and water valve by the release of a sprinkler head and consequent. reduction of air pressure in the sprinkler system. A covered hand-hole i is also provided in the casing through which the valve structure may be inserted or removed from the casing, while a smaller opening or hand-hole 4^ is made to permit examination or resetting of the valve. The plugged opening 5 permits of machining the respective seats of air valve and water valve in a machine shop boring mill.

In this preferred construction, the inlet 6 in substantially cylindrical and extends well within the casing in alinement with the outlet opening 2. The upper end of the inlet G is provided with avalve seat 7 upon which is seated an annular portion of the water valve 8 which normally closes the water inlet G. The inlet is so formed that the valve 8 occupies a position inclined to the vertical. This inclined valve scat may be viewed as formed by passing a cutting element through the cylindrical inletdiagonally to its'vertical axis. This would produce an elliptical valve seat, and the valve could be thus constructed. But for machine shop reasons, the cylindrical inlet 6 has its upper terminal portion slightly curved from the vertical, as shown in Fig. 1 to permitI the use of a circular valve seat. This circular valve seat accommodates a circular Avalve both of which are less expensively and more easilyproduced than the elliptical forms, while the increase in vfriction loss caused by the slight curvature of the waterway is so slight as to be practically negligible. The air valve 9 is provided with a similarly inclined valve seat 10. This valve seat is placed on an any valve structure not only causes the natural force of gravity to aid and accelerate the latter portion of the movement of the valve structure to unseated position but also the direc-tion of inclination shortens the path traveled by the structure to uiiseated substant-ially vertical position.

This air valve 9 substantially separates the casing interior into upper and ower chambers. The upper chamber, comprising all that above the air valve, is subjected normally to the air pressure in the sprinkler system through the outlet opening 2, and therefore the whole upper surface of the air valve is subjected to this air pressure. The

lower chamber comprises all that between.

the valves and is normally open to the atmosphere.

'The air valve and the water valve are preferably concentric and are desirably joined together in one valve structure. These joint valvessubstantially function as a unit. in their operative movements. As here shown, the water valve 8 is secured to and carried by the larger air valve 9. A threaded stu-d bolt 13 with nut and washer secures the water valve to the air valve, in sufficiently loose adjustment to permit the water valve readily seating itself. The upper portion of the central annular ange 15 is interiorly threaded t0 receive the plug 16. This construction effectually prevents leakage of air at this union of the two valves. A plurality of reinforcing Webs 17 radiate from this annular ange.

The perimeter of the air valve 9 is provided with a circumferentially projecting flap or ring washer 18 of a suitable flexible' material, such as rubber. This flap or washer is held to the valve lby means of the clamping ring 19 and yieldingly engages the 1 valve seat 10 thus assuring an air-tight valve seating.

In addition to efficiency and durability, compact-ness of construction and the resultant economy of space in dry pipe valve installations are highly desirable. 1n this embodiment, there is provided a construction which permits of a material reduction of the space required by the dry pipe valve due to the novel mountingof the water and air valvesso that the space, occupied by the valves in their unseated positions and required by them in moving from seated to unseated position, is reduced to a modicum. This result is achieved by providing; these joint valves with a mechanism such as a link motion which guides the valve structure in its movement from its seated position to an vof which extends the pin 22.

end secured to the casing, thus straddling the water way. The links 20 (see Fig. 3) are alike and Athe upper end of each engages with suitable pin bearings 25 through both The valve casting between the links has a central cored out portion 24 to reduce pin friction while f the two end portions oi bearings I25 are fitted with bushings for the pin 22 which is retained in the bearing at each end by means ofthe retaining plugs 26. Each link 20 is movable on a preferably diametrically opposite side of the inlet 6 to the other. The lower end 0f each link is similarly pivotally mounted. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this lower pin 28 is preferably inserted in two parts, one from each side of casing. End

bearings l29 forthese two pins 28 are afforded by the casing 1.

The second link system is shown as a single link 30. This system can, if desired, be arranged in twol parts similar to links 20,

e and placed outside of valve structure, but to secure compactness, it is arranged, as shown, as one link wholly within the neutral or atmospheric chamber. This link is relatively broad and is pivotally secured to the air valve by means of its integral transverse bearing sleeve- 31 through which is passed the pin 32. The pin 32 is borne bythe two preferably integrally cast bearing bosses 33. The other end of this link has a similar sleeve 49 pivotally borne by a. pin 50 mounted in end 'bearings 51 formed on the casing.

These link systemsk are so proportioned and positioned, preferably as illustrated, that the valve structure moves in short path to a substantially upright position beyond t'he waterway and adjacent to the outer wall of the inlet 6.

The air valve is preferably integrally cast to provide chambers to inclose the upper portions of the link system. The dotted line posiltionof the open, unseated valves in Fig. 1 indicates the restricted movement which the valves have when released. A projection 34C is provided on the lower end portion of the air valve and is adapted to bear upon the shoulder 35 of the casing and thus prevent the weight of the unseated valves from nding support on t`he`yielding flap 18 of the air valve. This flap 18, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, does not touch the casing 1,

The lower chamber 36, as 'already stated, is normally open to the atmosphere. For this purpose an outlet 37 to the atmosphere is provided in this lower chamber and therein is positioned a sleeve 38 on which is provided a valve seat 39 to receive the valve 40 carried by a stem 4l having a. pin and slot connection 42 with one arm 43 of a bellcrank lever fulcrumed at 44 on the outside of the inlet 6. This lever structure functions normally to hold the outlet valve 40 unseated while the air valve is seated and, upon unseating of the air valve, automaticallypermits the dropping of the valve 40 to closed position and also prevents the reseating of th'e air valve. The upper arm 45 of the lever has its end ynormally in a recess 46 formed in the under side of the'air valve 9 so that, when the air valve is in normal seated position, the other arm 43 of this lever functions to hold the outlet valve away from its seat and thus to maintain this lower chamber at the pressure of 'the atmosphere. Further, this lever engagement with the air valve is such that upon unseating of the air valve and release of the arm 45, the latter will aume a position more nearly normal to the air valve and will effectually prevent accidental re-seating of the air valve with a column of water in the upper chamber and air system pipes which would subsequently preventthe proper functioning of the dry pipe valve. overcomes t-he disadvantageous columning feature. Provision is also preferably made to overcome the undesirable chattering of This is effected by' the dry pipe valves. means of the provision of a plurality of stepped notches 47 on the upper end of the lever arm 45.

Upon a relatively slightupward movement of the air valve 9, the lowest notch 47 will engage the upper edge of the recess 46 and hold the air valve in a slightly raised but still seated position; lfurther chat-tering of the valve will cause the next, high notch to engage the recess edge, while anyextraordinarv chattering will cause the lever arm 45 to be released from the yrecess 46 whereby the outlet 37 will be closed and the air valve held open. Air and watermay then enter the lower chamber, the differential function of the valves is destroyed and the dry valve will be thrown to open position.

The circular seat 10 of the air valve and the circular seat 7 of the water valve are desirably concentric and in transverse inclined alinenient; but, as a matter of practical construction it is deemed preferable to allow for a little relative positioning of the two joined valves. Therefore, the under side of the airvalve 9 is desirably provided with an annular concaved surface 48 to engage an annular convex surface upwardly presented This construction therefore b y the water valve. This construction func-i tions in the nature of a.balljoint and automatically permits adjustment of the relative positions of the valves in a plurality of directions. The remainder of the surface of each valve is out of contact with the other and the space therebetween is maintained at atmospheric pressure due to its communication with the lower chamber 36.

There is thus provided an efficient and durable dry pipe valve which has the advan- `tages of a straight 'Waterway unobstructed by the unseated valves and yet 1s compact and ma-v occupy a relatively small space.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing, a water valve and an air valve connected to form a single lvalve structure, the wat-er valve being of less area than the air valve, valve seats therefor, link members pivotally mounting the differential valve struct-ure in the casing and acting upon u'nseating of the valves to guide the valve structure in a short restricted path to a position outside of the waterway.

2. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing,

' a water valve and an air valve connected to form a single valve structure, the water 'valve being of less area than the air valve,

valve seats therefor, link members pivotally mounting the differential valve structure in the casing and act-ing upon unseating of the valves to guide the valve structure in a short restricted path to a vertical position close `mounting the differential valve structure in the casing and acting upon unseating of the valves, to guide the valve structure in a short restricted path to one side of and substantially parallel with the waterway.

4. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing,

a water valve and an air valve connected to form a single valve structure, a link system comprising a pair of opposed links straddling the waterway, one end of each being pivoted to the valve'structure and the other end of each to the casing. a second link system comprising a single link pivoted to the valve structure at one end and to the casing at the other end, the said second link system being materially shorter than the first, whereby upon unseating of the valves, the

Ivalve structure is caused to describe a short restricted path to one side of and substantially parallel with the waterway.

5. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing, having inlet and outlet openings, valves and valve seats normally closing each opening, the valves being connected to form a single valve structure, links pivotally securlng the valve structure to the casing, a cylindricalV inlet extending Within. the casing, and having its valve seat inclined, whereby, uponl Water inlet extending Within the casing, a

valve seat thereon, an inlet-closing valve of less area than the air valve, the diierential .menait valves being connected to form a single valve structure, a link system comprising ylinks movable on opposite sides of the inlet,

each link having one end secured to the valve structure and the, other pivotally mounted on the inlet, a second link system secured to the valve structure and pivotally mounted on ythe casing and acting With the said links to cause the valve structure to turn from seated to unseated position in a shlort restricted path close to one side of the in et. i f

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EZRA E. CLARK; 

